Montenegro, a Balkan country that positions itself in the growing market of iGaming, may soon introduce new gambling regulations with the Ministry of Finance.Montenegro's...
MontenegroBet orders legal explanation on new tax rates
On December 31, 2025, the Ministry of Finance of Montenegro gave licensed operators 24 hours to update their systems to comply with the new tax rates, triggering MontenegroBet, the association for online gambling, to demand a legal explanation of the sudden changes.
The new tax plan aimed to disregard the former flat 15% tax on winnings above €300. Additionally, it ordered operators to exempt winnings of up to €50 and set a new threshold instructing that winnings above €1,500 must be taxed at 15%.
After the sudden change, operators stressed that they were given an impossible timeline to fulfill the orders of the Ministry without any technical supervision.
Operators also raised concerns that the tax framework is unequal, as slot machines, roulette, and casino games will not be subject to taxation. As a result, MontenegroBet and member operators called the measure fiscally discriminatory.
The association revealed that it will challenge the amendments before Montenegro’s Constitutional Court; however, while the review is in progress, operators will continue to comply with the country’s legal framework.
The Ministry responded that the changes were implemented after recommendations from a committee led by MP Armen Šehović.
At the start of 2026, Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milojko Spajić warned that the government would not tolerate grey areas in gambling regulation anymore and introduced reforms under its new Law on Games of Chance.
Montenegro has revised its gambling laws in January 2024, banning such new electronic payment methods as Apple Pay and PayPal, which has raised alarms in the international...
